The revolution control terminal is the top of the range from McConnel and displays the power output and rotor speed on the head. Full proportional control of the machine is possible with selectable joystick button functions. Four more optional proportional control valves are also available with this controller.
A view from inside the cab of the working position of the PA 7285 T-VFR. The head is working in front of the driver and not behind. The telescopic arm can extend this position by 1m.
The McConnel PA 7285T-VFR features an 85hp motor and 7.2m reach.
The McConnel PA 7285T-VFR features a variable forward telescopic arm. This machine was designed to give a more comfortable operating position as tractor seats have been pushed forward in modern tractors.
Hugh Hegarty (right) with wife Marie and children Fiona, Daniel and Evelyn. Also pictured are Brian Hegarty and Joe Sheehan, who drive the tractors for Hugh.
Hugh is using the heavy wall tyre from BKT on the rear of the Massey Ferguson tractors. He finds them a good tyre for hedge cutting. Agrigear in Cavan are the suppliers.
Extra weight was added to the Massey Ferguson 5465 to keep stability while in operation with the hedge cutter.
Hugh Hegarty has been in the contracting business for over 25 years, with hedge cutting the backbone of the whole operation.
Based in Ovens in Cork, he has established a good business. Currently Hugh runs five hedge cutters, all McConnel and all partnered with Massey Ferguson tractors.
Through the years, Hugh has found that the cab position and gear ratio on Massey tractors are ideal for his operations, especially on the road where fast reversing is needed to minimise delay.
ADVERTISEMENT
While Hugh works on his own for seven or eight months of the year, when the pressure comes on he is ably abetted by Tony Hegarty, Brian Hegarty, Robert Milligan and Kevin Kelliher. Hugh’s wife Marie looks after the books and the rest which is essential for any contracting business to prosper.
Luckily for Hugh and Marie, they have good customers based locally, including farmers, the county council, Blarney Castle, the ESB and Coillte. The steady work and income allows Hugh and Marie to plan for investment in machines and staff.
The problem that Hugh has, like most other contractors, is just how short the season is. He says: “From the first of September on, the season opens up again. This coincides with the schools opening, meaning more traffic on the road and the evenings are shorter too. This can contribute to an accident on the road.”
He says that tillage farmers planting winter cereals have a very short time to get in and out to maintain their hedgerows, especially any farmer growing oilseed rape. From Hugh’s own experience on the roads, he thinks the number of birds nesting on the verges is very small. The noise of cars and trucks mean that busy roads are not ideal nesting areas for birds.
The latest machine to join the fleet is the McConnel PA7285T-VFR. This new hedge cutter from McConnel offers the big advantage of a variable-reach forward arm. This design allows the operator to move the hedge cutter head to a working position alongside the door or further forward. The model that Hugh bought also has an arm with a telescopic reach of 1m, allowing the arm of the machine to push further forward for verge trimming or giving more reach when topping the hedge.
Hugh would not buy the the machine until the telescopic function was added to the arm by McConnel. The maximum reach on the machine is 7.2m. The power output has increased by 15hp over the previous model, giving a total power output of 85hp at the head. Hugh has completed around 180 hours of work on the machine and is quite happy with the investment.
It is well built he says. McConnel claims the domex steel used is lighter and stronger. This allows the weight of the machine to come in at 2,010kg without the head attachment or oil. To put this into context, the VFR machine is just 315kg heavier than the PA7000-700, which has a 7.7m reach and a 65hp motor.
The McConnel PA7285T-VFR is currently running on a Massey Ferguson 5465, a 120hp tractor. The tractor is just big enough for the machine with extra weights fitted for balance. Hugh is also considering adding wheel weights. On the 150hp Massey 6480, the PA7285T-VFR is ideal. However, some of the smaller jobs in gardens need the flexibility of the VFR machine, but not the size of the 6480 tractor, according to Hugh.
Hugh specified the machine with top-of-the-range Revolution Control Terminal. This 5.5in screen displays the power output and the speed of the rotor in the head. It also records the hours of work completed. The Revolution terminal allows full proportional control of the machine, and allows the driver to select the function commands on the joystick to suit their preferences.
Hugh has found that the new VFR hedge cutter takes a little bit of getting used to when compared with a standard machine. The new machine can access much more area from a static position. The variable-reach arm can travel forward and back as well as in and out, allowing much more ground to be covered. The machine can also cut in a straight position at a 90° swing behind the tractor.
When carrying out this task on a standard machine, the extended arm ends up arching around the corner and not cutting the full hedge. The new McConnel machine is proving popular with Hugh’s drivers as the flexibility in the arm allows easier work in around poles and road signs.
The big advantage for the driver is that you’re not constantly turning around looking at the machine in the working position. The working position on the new machine can be adjusted to suit the driver. This saves on back and neck ache after a long day. The machine can also be operated in the standard position. The flexibility of the arm also takes away any difficulties with the tractor cab’s pillars affecting visibility while working.
Safety
From a safety point of view, Hugh also found that the forward operating position is ideal for verge trimming on the side of the road, as it allows the driver to keep a view of oncoming traffic.
He also specified a hydraulic rear roller on the head of the machine. It allows him to tuck in the roller when finishing hedges for a nice finish. The roller can be raised or lowered for different conditions when verge trimming also. Hugh thinks it is a brilliant feature that he will get on the next machine when the time comes for changing.
The PA7285T-VFR is also fitted with the new McConnel F14-T flail. These new flails are bigger, providing a better overlap. To keep the weight down, the F14 flails have a hollow cavity in the centre. This flail design is unique to McConnel. Hugh says the flail is better in grass, and he has had fewer problems with replacements during the season.
Brackets
The tractor brackets for the McConnel PA7285T-VFR are the same as the other models. This is also a big reason Hugh keeps the same make of tractor and hedge cutter. The brackets are an additional cost to be factored in when calculating the cost of changing the tractor or hedge cutter.
“Having a common bracket is ideal when we need to change our tractors around for different jobs,” he said.
The McConnel
PA7285T-VFR
85hp motor.
7.2m reach.
Variable forward arm.
1.0m telescopic arm.
Parallel arm geometry.
Hydraulic safety break back.
High-capacity oil cooler.
Soft-start rotor engagement.
LED lighting.
List price €52,110 plus VAT.
McConnel PA7000-700
McConnel PA6570
McConnel PA6000-500
McConnel PA7285T-VFR
McConnel Econ mid mount
Massey Ferguson 135
Massey Ferguson 4270 (34,000 hours)
Massey Ferguson 6480
Massey Ferguson 6290
Massey Ferguson 5465
Massey Ferguson 2725
Hugh bought his first new tractor from Cork Farm Machinery at the National Ploughing Championship in 1998.
The tractor (pictured below) is still going strong in the fleet, working with a McConnel PA6570T almost every week. The tractor has mostly been on hedge-cutting duty, carrying out slurry spreading and haulage work occasionally.
The tractor has had five full-time drivers, including Hugh himself. Three new seats and eight sets of tyres later, the tractor keeps rolling on. The tractor clock was also changed after 6,250 hours, and the new clock shows 28,389 hours so far and counting, according to Hugh.
The tractor has given minor bits of trouble over the years. Impressively, the engine and gearbox have never been touched. Hugh puts down the long working life of the tractor to good drivers and on-time servicing.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
Hugh Hegarty has been in the contracting business for over 25 years, with hedge cutting the backbone of the whole operation.
Based in Ovens in Cork, he has established a good business. Currently Hugh runs five hedge cutters, all McConnel and all partnered with Massey Ferguson tractors.
Through the years, Hugh has found that the cab position and gear ratio on Massey tractors are ideal for his operations, especially on the road where fast reversing is needed to minimise delay.
While Hugh works on his own for seven or eight months of the year, when the pressure comes on he is ably abetted by Tony Hegarty, Brian Hegarty, Robert Milligan and Kevin Kelliher. Hugh’s wife Marie looks after the books and the rest which is essential for any contracting business to prosper.
Luckily for Hugh and Marie, they have good customers based locally, including farmers, the county council, Blarney Castle, the ESB and Coillte. The steady work and income allows Hugh and Marie to plan for investment in machines and staff.
The problem that Hugh has, like most other contractors, is just how short the season is. He says: “From the first of September on, the season opens up again. This coincides with the schools opening, meaning more traffic on the road and the evenings are shorter too. This can contribute to an accident on the road.”
He says that tillage farmers planting winter cereals have a very short time to get in and out to maintain their hedgerows, especially any farmer growing oilseed rape. From Hugh’s own experience on the roads, he thinks the number of birds nesting on the verges is very small. The noise of cars and trucks mean that busy roads are not ideal nesting areas for birds.
The latest machine to join the fleet is the McConnel PA7285T-VFR. This new hedge cutter from McConnel offers the big advantage of a variable-reach forward arm. This design allows the operator to move the hedge cutter head to a working position alongside the door or further forward. The model that Hugh bought also has an arm with a telescopic reach of 1m, allowing the arm of the machine to push further forward for verge trimming or giving more reach when topping the hedge.
Hugh would not buy the the machine until the telescopic function was added to the arm by McConnel. The maximum reach on the machine is 7.2m. The power output has increased by 15hp over the previous model, giving a total power output of 85hp at the head. Hugh has completed around 180 hours of work on the machine and is quite happy with the investment.
It is well built he says. McConnel claims the domex steel used is lighter and stronger. This allows the weight of the machine to come in at 2,010kg without the head attachment or oil. To put this into context, the VFR machine is just 315kg heavier than the PA7000-700, which has a 7.7m reach and a 65hp motor.
The McConnel PA7285T-VFR is currently running on a Massey Ferguson 5465, a 120hp tractor. The tractor is just big enough for the machine with extra weights fitted for balance. Hugh is also considering adding wheel weights. On the 150hp Massey 6480, the PA7285T-VFR is ideal. However, some of the smaller jobs in gardens need the flexibility of the VFR machine, but not the size of the 6480 tractor, according to Hugh.
Hugh specified the machine with top-of-the-range Revolution Control Terminal. This 5.5in screen displays the power output and the speed of the rotor in the head. It also records the hours of work completed. The Revolution terminal allows full proportional control of the machine, and allows the driver to select the function commands on the joystick to suit their preferences.
Hugh has found that the new VFR hedge cutter takes a little bit of getting used to when compared with a standard machine. The new machine can access much more area from a static position. The variable-reach arm can travel forward and back as well as in and out, allowing much more ground to be covered. The machine can also cut in a straight position at a 90° swing behind the tractor.
When carrying out this task on a standard machine, the extended arm ends up arching around the corner and not cutting the full hedge. The new McConnel machine is proving popular with Hugh’s drivers as the flexibility in the arm allows easier work in around poles and road signs.
The big advantage for the driver is that you’re not constantly turning around looking at the machine in the working position. The working position on the new machine can be adjusted to suit the driver. This saves on back and neck ache after a long day. The machine can also be operated in the standard position. The flexibility of the arm also takes away any difficulties with the tractor cab’s pillars affecting visibility while working.
Safety
From a safety point of view, Hugh also found that the forward operating position is ideal for verge trimming on the side of the road, as it allows the driver to keep a view of oncoming traffic.
He also specified a hydraulic rear roller on the head of the machine. It allows him to tuck in the roller when finishing hedges for a nice finish. The roller can be raised or lowered for different conditions when verge trimming also. Hugh thinks it is a brilliant feature that he will get on the next machine when the time comes for changing.
The PA7285T-VFR is also fitted with the new McConnel F14-T flail. These new flails are bigger, providing a better overlap. To keep the weight down, the F14 flails have a hollow cavity in the centre. This flail design is unique to McConnel. Hugh says the flail is better in grass, and he has had fewer problems with replacements during the season.
Brackets
The tractor brackets for the McConnel PA7285T-VFR are the same as the other models. This is also a big reason Hugh keeps the same make of tractor and hedge cutter. The brackets are an additional cost to be factored in when calculating the cost of changing the tractor or hedge cutter.
“Having a common bracket is ideal when we need to change our tractors around for different jobs,” he said.
The McConnel
PA7285T-VFR
85hp motor.
7.2m reach.
Variable forward arm.
1.0m telescopic arm.
Parallel arm geometry.
Hydraulic safety break back.
High-capacity oil cooler.
Soft-start rotor engagement.
LED lighting.
List price €52,110 plus VAT.
McConnel PA7000-700
McConnel PA6570
McConnel PA6000-500
McConnel PA7285T-VFR
McConnel Econ mid mount
Massey Ferguson 135
Massey Ferguson 4270 (34,000 hours)
Massey Ferguson 6480
Massey Ferguson 6290
Massey Ferguson 5465
Massey Ferguson 2725
Hugh bought his first new tractor from Cork Farm Machinery at the National Ploughing Championship in 1998.
The tractor (pictured below) is still going strong in the fleet, working with a McConnel PA6570T almost every week. The tractor has mostly been on hedge-cutting duty, carrying out slurry spreading and haulage work occasionally.
The tractor has had five full-time drivers, including Hugh himself. Three new seats and eight sets of tyres later, the tractor keeps rolling on. The tractor clock was also changed after 6,250 hours, and the new clock shows 28,389 hours so far and counting, according to Hugh.
The tractor has given minor bits of trouble over the years. Impressively, the engine and gearbox have never been touched. Hugh puts down the long working life of the tractor to good drivers and on-time servicing.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS